CHARSADDA: The district education officer (DEO) on Saturday ordered the sealing of 12 classrooms and the principal’s office at Government Shaheed Tariq Sentinel Model High School in Turangzai here, and the shifting of students to safer rooms due to the deteriorating condition of the building.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Dr Mohammad Fakhre Alam Irfan had taken notice of the dilapidated condition of the school building after reports and photographs highlighting the plight of students went viral on social media.

DEO Fazal Wahid visited the school accompanied by deputy DEO Zubair Khalil, DEO planning and development Shiraz Hussain and other officials.

The school principal, Mohammad Ayaz Khan, briefed the officials on the deteriorating condition of the building, difficulties faced by students and the impact on academic activities.

Talking to journalists, Mr Wahid said the inspection had been conducted on the directives of the chief secretary and that the safety of students was the department’s top priority.

He directed the school administration to ensure that academic activities continued without interruption and that all available facilities were utilised to provide students with a safe learning environment.

“The lives of children are our foremost priority, and no compromise will be made on their safety,” he said, adding that steps would be taken soon for the reconstruction of the dilapidated building.

MAN GETS LIFE: A court in Tangi has sentenced a man to life imprisonment after convicting him of the murder of a medic, Dr Faisal Sardar, who was killed on June 6, 2018.

Additional Sessions Judge Islamuddin Khan also awarded the convict, Khan Badshah, 10 years’ imprisonment under Section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code (attempted murder) and three years’ imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs500,000, in the case involving the recovery of a Kalashnikov.

Advocate Malik Fida Hussain Khalil represented the complainant’s side, while Yousaf Shah Mohmand appeared on behalf of the convict.

The verdict marks a significant development in the eight-year-old murder case, while the investigation conducted by Sub-Inspector Muzaffar Khan played an important role in bringing the case to its conclusion.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2026